Attack believed to have involved a drone in Lebanese airspace On Saturday, an Iranian fuel tanker was attacked off the coast of Syria, the first such attack in years. Three Iranians, including two crew members, were reported slain.
Details are still emerging, but suspicion immediately shot to Israel, who attacks Iranian targets in and around Syria all the time. A previous report had suggested that the Israelis had targeted a few vessels carrying Iranian fuel in the past.
This fuel tanker was close to port, and it is believed to have been attacked by a drone or a missile fired from Lebanese airspace. This again points to an Israeli attack, as Israel tends to use Lebanese airspace with impunity.
Before the war, Syria was self-sufficient on oil and fuel, but production and transport has struggled, and now they are heavily reliant on imports to run the economy. With the US trying to keep Syria from buying anything, and trying to keep Iran from selling anything, it’s only natural this would be a key trading partner for them.
The US has been trying to stop Iranian exports, seizing some of the tankers in the past. This is the first time one has come under attack, however, which is certainly more along the lines of what Israel would do.